


Spring Love

by shahondin



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Fluff and Smut, Happy Ending, Hongjoong's mullet, Joong is a Baby Boy, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mingi is the bestest friend, Nipple Piercings, Seonghwa has a dog, Strangers to Lovers, Traveling, may it rest in peace, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-17 22:22:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18973726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shahondin/pseuds/shahondin
Summary: Inspiration fails Hongjoong in the moment he needs it most. Frustrated and full of self-doubt, he's on the verge of collapsing. Fortunately his friends decide to drag him on an impromptu vacation to Germany!He meets Seonghwa, the tall blonde with an adorable dog, and falls in love for the first time. However the vacation has to end sooner or later. Will they be able to hold on to their still growing love?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome 川o･-･)ﾉ
> 
> I started this fanfic back in March and struggled a lot since then... Thankfully R. aka wayv was a great motivation to finish it! (thanks bby ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡ )
> 
> Anyway! I hope you'll enjoy my story. The places the boys go to are heavily inspired by my hometown and surroundings. North Germany is worth a visit if you haven't been here yet ~

Inspiration is moody little thing. Sometimes she's your best friend, enjoying days together. Other times she's a nagging mother, bothering you when you don't have time to get anything done. And sometimes she is annoyed, not answering to your pleas, only spitting a few disjointed words at you in response. 

Hongjoong groans. He spent months at the studio working on his final assignment for his university degree. Well, at least he's supposed to be working. Unfortunately inspiration decided to avoid him, only showing up in fleeting moments he couldn't quite catch. 

He tosses his headphones in the corner of the small studio and decides to call it a night. One glance at his watch tells him it's already well past 5 am. It's a miracle that his best friend and roommate didn't rush in yet to drag him to bed. 

Hongjoong doesn't even bother saving his progress and shuts the computer down, putting the equipment back. He stretches his arms in the air, palms up. His muscle ache due to his hunched over position for hours nonstop. He takes his backpack and leaves the university dorms.

The subway is empty save for a few men in suits with dark circles under their eyes. Overworked businessmen. Hongjoong sighs, he’s sure he doesn’t look better at the moment. 

When he finally reaches the apartment, tired and ready to fall into his bed, he stops in the small hallway. There are more shoes than supposed. 

Quietly, he sneaks around the corner to look into the dark living room. He can't sense anyone there so he shrugs and goes to his room. Maybe Mingi went on a shopping trip and decided to buy a bunch of new shoes. Who knows?

Just as Hongjoong opens the door to his bedroom, all unsuspecting as he was, he yelps in surprise when he's greeted with all of his friends sitting in the narrow room. 

“Hyung.” Yeosang, who’s nearest to the door, lays a calming hand on his arm and guides him to his bed. Hongjoong sits down, still shocked and wide eyed. 

“We need to talk.” Wooyoung finally speaks up after a few moments of silence, leaning back on the desk chair he's sitting on. He nudges San who's half asleep on his lap. The other blinks awake and repeats the sentence with a scratchy voice.

“I know it's late. I promise I’ll sleep in and don't work so late tomorrow.” Hongjoong tries to appease the looming lecture. 

“It's not just that you overwork yourself.” Yunho appears at the door with a cup of tea. He hands it over to the older and sits down on the bed next to him. “We’re afraid you'll get sick if you don't take a break. And I don't mean just a few hours of sleep.” 

Hongjoong sips at his tea, humming at the pleasant feeling of warmth spreading in his body. He closes his eyes and gets lost in the feeling, forgetting about his friends.

“Are you good to go?” Mingi waves his hand in front of Hongjoong's face. 

“Huh? Go where?” The older snaps out of it and wonders aloud, taking another sip of his tea. 

“Germany.” 

Hongjoong chokes. Yeosang is quick to pat his back so the other can breath again. 

“We packed everything, the plane takes off in 2 hours so we should leave now.” Mingi takes the backpack Hongjoong dropped a few minutes earlier. One after another leaves the room, putting shoes and coats on. 

“You're joking.” Hongjoong looks at Yunho who's still sitting next to him in surprise. “You can't be serious.”

“Well...” the younger smiles, “My parents have a house in Germany. They lend it to us so we just pay for the flight. Which we'll miss if we don't leave now.” Yunho takes the empty cup from the olders hands, placing it on the desk and pulls Hongjoong out of the room.

~

When they finally arrive at the airport they meet up with Jongho who came straight from his parent’s home to join them on their spontaneous adventure. Fortunately boarding doesn’t take long so Hongjoong finds himself seated in the plane sooner than he could process everything that happened in the last two hours.

With tired eyes he looks outside the window as the plane takes off. The airport becomes smaller and smaller. After a few minutes Hongjoong can only see the lights of Seoul shining in the distance. 

“Hyung, try to sleep.” Mingi whines next to him and lays his head on the older’s shoulder.

“Yeah…” Hongjoong mumbles, not tired at all as he finally realises that he’s going on vacation. He rarely had the chance to travel with his parents when he still lived with them. Since he got into university, he barely left the city at all. 

As the sun slowly rises on the horizon, Hongjoong realizes that he never left Korea let alone Asia! And now he’s sitting on a plane, unprepared for the adventure ahead. But he doesn’t worry. Anything but.

Maybe the change of scenery will spike inspiration again.

Mingi is out like a light, resting on the olders shoulder and breathing deeply. Hongjoong smiles to himself and lays his head on his friend’s, still not averting his eyes from the window. His excitement grows with every passing minute.

~

“I’m not sure which bus we should take…” Yunho reads the signs at the bus stop with a frown.

“How come you don't speak any German? Your family practically lives here part of the year!” San whines. 

Yunho scoffs in response. “I know the most important: food and toilet. And I'm not the one living here, I've still a degree to pursue.” 

They’re all exhausted and irritable after the long flight and the following train ride and just want to arrive at their vacation home. 

“We could ask the bus driver.” Mingi muses but Jongho is quick to shut him down. “I doubt he’ll understand us. The people here are as bad at speaking English as us, hyung.”

“Yunho, you’ve got the name of the village, right?” Yeosang asks. Yunho nods and opens the notes app on his cellphone. “We could show this to the driver.” He takes the cellphone from his friend and shows the name to the others.

They agree on the plan and wait for the next bus. After hearing several ‘sorrys’ from the first few drivers, they finally catch the right bus and hop on. 

Hongjoong settles in the seat next to Yeosang with barely opened eyes. The excitement he felt on the plane wore off after the first few hours, leaving him exhausted to the bones. The lack of sleep and stress from the last weeks finally caught up to him. Mingi and Yunho even took turns to give him piggyback rides, carrying from the airport to the train station.

Fortunately the drive doesn’t take long and the group heaves their luggage out of the bus. Armed with Google Maps, Yunho leads them to their destination. The house they’ll be staying at has a big garden with a barbecue place, perfect for relaxing times outside. The first thing Hongjoong notices when they eventually enter the building is the spacious living room with large windows. 

“Oh my Gosh, this place is awesome!” San yells and pulls Wooyoung along with him upstairs. “We take this room!” He shouts and slams a door shut somewhere.

“Ugh, I don’t even want to know…” Yeosang comments and looks around downstairs. 

Hongjoong ignores his friends as they talk to each other and decide on the sleeping arrangements. He doesn’t care where he sleeps and who he rooms with. Unmoving, he stays at the patio door and looks outside. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, painting the garden in a beautiful pink.

He doesn’t know how long he stood there when Mingi finally snaps him out of his thoughts. “We should go grocery shopping before it gets dark.” Hongjoong nods and quickly freshens himself up in one of the bathrooms. His friends were kind enough to give him the only single bedroom so he could sleep as long as he wants without any interruption. Bless them.

~

Hongjoong didn’t know shopping for some food could be so hard. But he didn’t have to deal with seven different opinions on the best kind of meat for barbeque before. Muss less with a language barrier complicating the whole process of choosing from several packages.

When they’re finally done with storing the food in the refrigerator, the sun has long set. They decide to call it a day and head to bed. 

Hongjoong lies awake for a long time even though he’s drained and tired. Thoughts race in his mind. It’s not unusual. In the calm of the night he always worries the most because there is nothing to distract him from the unpleasant thoughts that lurk in his subconsciousness.

Will he be able to finish university? Will he find a job? Will he be happy? Will he find someone to spend the rest of his life with? 

_You're not good enough,_ a voice whispers in his head.

Hongjoong sighs. He doesn’t want to be lonely anymore. Surely he has his friends who are always there for him but it’s not the same. Hongjoong feels like there is still someone missing. That feeling intensifies every time he sees San and Wooyoung cuddling on the couch on movie nights, whispering and giggling, unaware of the rest of the world. Hongjoong wants something like that too. Someone to come home to. Someone to hug. Someone to share everything with, without being afraid of judgement or rejection.

 _Who would want to date you? You're a failure,_ the voice continues.

It’s not like he didn’t try dating before. When he graduated from school, freshly moved to the big capital, he went to every party he heard of. That’s where he befriended Mingi who introduced him to Yunho and Yeosang. San and Wooyoung joined the friend group soon after when they met on a dance competition Yunho and the couple performed at. A year later Jongho barreled into their lifes.

The boys set Hongjoong up with different people, introducing him to women and men, but nothing worked out. He just didn’t feel anything, no butterflies, no nervousness, nothing. 

_You're incapable of love, the voice grows louder._

_Failure._

_Washout._

_Incompetent._

_Unloveable._

Hongjoong pulls the covers up to his chin and squeezes his eyes shut. He just wants the thoughts to stop for one night. That’s all he asks for.

~

“Wow, you look like you haven’t slept at all.” Jongho greets Hongjoong with a deadpan voice as soon as the oldest sits down at the breakfast table.

“I slept. Thank you.” He frowns. 

“As I just wanted to say-” Wooyoung says with a big smile on his face to ease the awkward situation. “We should go to the beach.”

The others, save for Hongjoong, nod in agreement.

“The water is still too cold for swimming but we could play something or just relax.” Yunho speaks with a full mouth.

“I found a volleyball in our closet. We could play.” San adds in excitement. 

They discuss some more ideas until Yeosang notices that Hongjoong didn’t eat anything yet. 

“Hyung, are you not hungry?” He asks quietly. Hongjoong shrugs but takes a spoon and starts eating nonetheless. “I think, I’ll stay back and get some work done.” He says after a few bites. His friends complain immediately, threatening to hide his laptop somewhere if he doesn’t come. 

Grudgingly, Hongjoong agrees to come but only if he can bring his laptop as well in case inspiration hits.

~

Once Hongjoong takes his mind off of work he starts to enjoy himself. The others make sure to include him in every silly game they play to distract him. And it works. After a few sets of clumsy volleyball, they play soccer and decide to make sand castles afterwards.

Hongjoong didn’t even touch his laptop since he set it aside with the other stuff they brought.

~

“Uno, losers!” Yeosang exclaims as he throws his last card on the pile in the middle.

“I swear to God, you’re cheating!” Wooyoung complains with a pout. “Why are you winning every single round?”

“Let’s play something different.” Yunho calms them down and stands up from the ground. “There should be some broad games somewhere.” Jongho volunteers to search with him, San leaves to go to the toilet, Yeosang, Mingi and Wooyoung mumble something about food. Before he knows it, Hongjoong is left alone on the living room floor.

_Look at you, playing games instead of working._

_Slacker._

He groans and puts the cards away. Maybe he can sneak out for some hours? But he has to leave the house if he wants to work in peace.

Hesitantly he takes his laptop and headphones. Just as he quietly opens the frontdoor, San appears behind him. “Hyung, where are you going?”

Hongjoong winces and slowly turns around. “I’ll just go outside for a bit. Don’t worry, Sanie.” 

The younger wants to protest but Hongjoong waves his hands and hurries outside. He breathes deeply and walks the short distance to the beach. The sun hangs low already but it’s not that cold. 

He sits down in the sand and leans back on the dune. The laptop on his lap and headphones secure on his head, Hongjoong opens his most recent file and listens to it for a few times. It’s not bad. But it’s not really good either. 

_Untalented._

Frustrated, Hongjoong takes the headphones off and closes his eyes. The evening sun warming his face and the sound of waves crashing at the shore calm him down. He is on the verge of falling asleep when a beautiful laugh reaches his ear. 

Hongjoong blinks his eyes and looks around. When he finally sees the source of the noise, the sight takes his breath away. The laughing young man throws a squeaky ball, his large dog running after it with its tongue hanging out of the mouth. The man is Korean and tall, taller than Hongjoong at least, with sandy blonde hair a dark brown trench coat hugging his shoulders. He squats down when the dog brings him the toy and wags its tail in excitement. The blonde pats its head and throws the ball again, this time way farther. 

They play fetching for some more time, running back and forth in the sand. Hongjoong smiles to himself as he watches the duo the whole time. When the sun sets eventually, the man puts the leash back on his dog’s collar and trots away, naked feet patting in the shallow water. 

Only when he’s not able to see the stranger anymore, Hongjoong looks back at his laptop. The screen is black so he unlocks it again. 

The beautiful voice of the stranger still in mind, he puts the headphones back on and goes resumes his work.

~

“You look pleased.” Mingi comments. Hongjoong takes his jacket off and throws himself on the couch next to his friend.

“I got a lot done today.” The older smiles and stretches himself. “Where are the others?”

“Good job.” Mingi compliments and combs his fingers through Hongjoong’s hair. “They’re stargazing somewhere. I waited for you.” 

Hongjoong hums and relaxes. Mingi turns the volume of the music playing in the background a bit up. “I’m glad that you could wind down a bit. I was worried about you, hyung.” The taller sighs. 

“I’m sorry.” Hongjoong mumbles and looks up to his friend. “I promise to work out a healthy schedule when we get back to Korea.” Mingi smiles and resumes massaging the older’s head. 

The others join them soon after with fried chicken containers. Yeosang plugs the memory card of his drone in the television so they can look at the pictures and videos the boys took outside. 

Hongjoong realizes how much he has missed to spend time with his friends. He barely saw them anymore because he locked himself up in the studio. 

_Sluggard._

He ignores the nagging voice. He’s done enough work for today. It’s time to enjoy himself.

~

The second morning is far more pleasant than the first. Hongjoong slept like a baby and is now enjoying breakfast with his friends. Yunho makes a show out of juggling three apples, singing some cartoon opening in a low pitched voice. They are all laughing except for Jongho who huffs in annoyance because the taller stole his breakfast to play with it. He finally snaps when Yunho’s voice breaks on a sudden high note. 

The youngest grabs the first apple from Yunho’s hands and sings the previous ruined high note perfectly, breaking the apple in half with his hands. “That’s how it’s done.” He smirks at the other who’s clearly shocked by that demonstration of strength. Jongho breaks the other apples as well and places a piece on every plate. 

“Well-” Hongjoong clears his throat. “Do you want to lend some bikes for today’s trip?” 

“Brilliant. I’ll organise some.” Yunho finishes his breakfast in a rush and puts the used dishes in the sink. 

“Can you ask for a tandem bike, please?” San requests, Wooyoung nods his head. “Good idea.” 

Yunho assures them that he’ll ask and leaves with Mingi to get the bikes. In the meantime Hongjoong and Yeosang do the dishes, the others pack snacks and drinks. 

Half an hour later, Hongjoong secures his helmet and squints at the sun. It’s a sunny day, so he only wears a thin hoodie and jeans. 

“Let’s go!” Wooyoung is the first one who starts to pedal. The couple struggles to find a good rhythm at first, but they succeed after a few metres, leaving the rest behind.

“Do they even know the route?” Mingi asks. 

“I doubt it.” Yeosang sighs and races after them. 

“The last one will pay for lunch!” Yunho shouts and takes off too.

“So food’s on Hongjoong hyung. Nice.” Jongho grins. 

“Hey!” Hongjoong complains and starts to pedal as well, hurrying after Mingi and the youngest.

~

“Thanks for the food.” The groups says unisono. They dig in and eat like they starved for days.

“No desserts.” Hongjoong frowns and starts to eat too. He’s not really annoyed. Sure, Jongho and Mingi tricked him so he would lose, but he had fun so it’s not that bad. 

“I treat you for ice cream.” Mingi says after a few bites. Maybe he feels a bit guilty, judging by the small smile he shoots Hongjoong. 

After lunch and dessert, they ride back to their house. The majority wants to play video games on the big television when they arrive. However Hongjoong excuses himself to work. They let him go with smiles and wish him a productive evening. 

Hongjoong sits down on the same spot as yesterday but doesn’t start to work immediately. Instead he searches for a tall figure and a ball of fluff running on the beach. Disappointed he opens his laptop and opens the file when there’s no sight of them.

Soon he’s immersed in his music and doesn’t notice the quickly approaching figure. 

“Mangmang, stop!” The yell is loud enough to be heard over the music playing on Hongjoong’s headphones. He looks up with a start but it’s too late. A large dog halts right next to him and shakes itself. Thousands of water droplets fly through the air, wetting Hongjoong’s face and clothes. Luckily he was able to hunch over his laptop in time to prevent it from the water onslaught. 

“Oh my God, I’m so sorr- Mangmang stop that! -so sorry. Are you alright?” Blinded by the setting sun, Hongjoong squints at the tall shadow in front of him.

“Ah yes, it’s okay.” He says after checking his laptop. “Everything’s fine.” 

“I’m glad.” The strangers sits down next to Hongjoong and throws a towel over the dog, rubbing it dry. “I was not quick enough to catch him after he sprang into the water.” The other explains.

Hongjoong opens his mouth to respond but chokes on his words when he realises that the man sitting next to him is the same one he saw yesterday. He stares at the man’s long fingers kneading the towel through the dog’s thick fur. Like in trance his gaze wanders from the elegant hands to his arms then the upper body and finally reaches the stranger’s face. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, the man bites his bottom lip. Only when he deems the dog dry enough he releases him again. The dog wags its tail and takes off with his ball. 

“Are you on vacation?” The stranger asks, meeting his gaze with a small smile. Damn, he’s stunning.

“Yeah.” Hongjoong breathes and quickly looks down again.

_You’re so embarrassing._

“You’re lucky. This time last year we had to deal with huge amounts of snow.” The man continues. “I’m Seonghwa, by the way.” He reaches out his hand for Hongjoong to take.

“Hongjoong.” The smaller mutters and shakes the other’s hand after a few seconds of hesitation.

_Get ahold of yourself!_

“So Hongjoong-ssi, why are you sitting here all by yourself?” Seonghwa asks just as his dog returns and demands the ball to be thrown again. The blonde indulges. 

“I’m working on a project. Nothing important.” Hongjoong dismisses Seonghwa’s curious glance. “Do you live here?”

“Yeah, my house is over there.” He points to the right. Hongjoong can’t see any house but nods nonetheless. The conversation dies, both men watching the dog in silence. It’s not uncomfortable though. Only when the sun disappears, Seonghwa speaks up again.

“I have to go now. Goodbye.” He smiles once more. Hongjoong blinks and opens his mouth slightly. His stomach clenches when Seonghwa leaves, turning around to wave one last time.

“Bye.” Hongjoong answers belatedly.

~

This night the nagging voice scolds him not only about the little amount of work he got done but also about his embarrassing behaviour.

~

It’s still before sunrise when Hongjoong wakes up. He rubs his eyes groggily and yawns. After a quick visit to the toilet he’s a bit more awake and decides to set up his work place in front of the big living room windows. He throws on a large pullover and takes a soft blanket with him.

It’s hours later when Yunho gets up as well, surprised to see the oldest awake. 

“Couldn't sleep?” He mumbles, voice still rough. 

“Nah, but I woke up early and felt inspired.” Hongjoong grins and lifts the blanket. The younger snuggles up next to him and looks at the screen. 

“You’re really hardworking, hyung.” Yunho yawns and closes his eyes. Hongjoong hums and lets the other fall asleep on his shoulder. 

It’s funny that all he needed were soft smiles from a stranger and an adorable puppy to find inspiration again.

~

The third day went by in a flash. They went sightseeing in a nearby city, trying local foods and taking lots of pictures.

Even though they’re all tired when they get back in the evening, Hongjoong is restless. He sits on the couch next to Wooyoung, wiggling his right leg up and down. 

“Hyung.” Wooyoung whines when he can’t take it anymore.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize.” He apologises and stands up. “I’ll go for a walk.” 

“Don’t stay out too late.” Jongho calls after him as Hongjoong takes his backpack and headphones and waves goodbye.

He plops down in the sand as soon as he reaches his usual spot. Groaning, he notices that he left his laptop at his room, still plugged in to charge. 

_Stupid._

“Hey.” The voices surprises him. Hongjoong wipes around, pulling a muscle in his shoulder and winces.

“Sorry!” Seonghwa grimaces when he sees Hongjoong face contorted in pain. “Let me help you.” The taller kneels down behind Hongjoong and massages his shoulder blades. “Relax.” He scolds when the other tenses. 

“Easier said than done.” Hongjoong pouts but tries his best to do as asked. He winces again when Seonghwa reaches a sore spot and kneads it out.

“Better?” He asks after a few minutes. 

“Better. Thank you.” 

“Do you want to accompany us on the walk?” Seonghwa offers with a smile. He does that a lot, smiling. 

“I don’t want to bother you, Seonghwa-ssi” Hongjoong scratches his head, still embarrassed. 

The blonde chuckles. “How old are you?”

They realise that they’re born in the same year after short conversation. However Hongjoong still insists on calling the slightly older hyung. Seonghwa allows it on the condition that the other walks with him for a bit. 

They spend the whole evening together, talking about their lives, playing with Mangmang. Hongjoong learns that the dog is a one year old Golden Retriever. Seonghwa got him when he moved out from home to study in the city. He wants to be a vet one day so he studies hard. He’s staying with his parents during semester break and enjoys the free time. 

Hongjoong talks about his dream of becoming a producer. He shows the taller some stuff he made on his phone, nervous about Seonghwa’s opinion. The other listens with a poker face. Once the last song is over though, he demands Hongjoong to send him the files asap. 

They watch the sunset, sitting near the shore.

~

On their fourth evening Seonghwa and Hongjoong meet up again. The conversation flows easily, it’s comfortable and nice. Hongjoong makes a few silly jokes just to hear Seonghwa laugh.

“How long will you stay?” Seonghwa asks when it’s time to say goodbye for the day. 

“Three days… I don’t want to go back.” Hongjoong whines and pouts, making the taller giggle. But it’s true. He really doesn’t want to leave. In the past few days he was more productive than in the last months at home. He’s relaxed and content, he doesn’t want that to end. 

He also doesn’t want to leave Seonghwa. It’s crazy how attached he feels after such a short span of time. They barely know each other but it doesn’t feel like that at all. Hongjoong feels safe with Seonghwa, he can let all his worries behind. 

“I have to go now… The others want to grill some meat.” Hongjoong sighs.

“Hurry before there’s nothing left for you.” Seonghwa pushes him in the direction of the vacation house. “See you tomorrow!”

Hongjoong walks backwards so he’s able to see Seonghwa’s smile just a little bit longer.

~

“I think red will suit you.” San muses as he takes hair dye from the shelve at the supermarket.

“I like light brown more.” Hongjoong nibbles on his bottom lip. When he saw himself this morning in the mirror he felt the need to change something. 

“You could dye your hair red, San.” Wooyoung appears next to them with a basket full of chips in one hand and a bottle of coke in the other. “I’ll help you.” 

Happy with this suggestion, San grins and puts the small container in the basket. He takes the one in Hongjoong’s hand as well.

“Come on, let’s do it!” 

~

“Hyung, you look good!” San compliments when Hongjoong finally leaves the bathroom. 

“Are you sure? It’s not too much?” The older ruffles his hair, still unsure.

“Are you kidding? You look like a kpop star.” San reassures and fluffs the other’s hair up. 

Hongjoong turns around to look in the mirror that hangs in the hallway. He studies his hair, turning his head left then right. The color is nice, he admits, but his hair got a bit long, especially in the back. He wonders what Seonghwa will think about it. 

_Seonghwa._

Every time he thinks about the other, his heart flutters a bit. He hopes, the blonde will like it too.

“Come on, let’s go downstairs.” The freshly dyed redhead pushes Hongjoong downstairs with his hands on his shoulders.

~

Seems like Hongjoong shouldn’t have worried about Seonghwa’s opinion at all. The other likes it, making Hongjoong blush with his compliments.

“I should get a haircut though.” The younger muses and tosses Mangmang’s ball. 

“I don’t think so.” Seonghwa shrugs. “The long hair suits you.”

They continue to walk in silence until Hongjoong speaks again.

“I lied to you…” He mumbles causing Seonghwa to tilt his head in confusion.

“When you asked me why I’m alone at the beach with my laptop. I told you it’s nothing important. That was a lie.” Hongjoong explains. “I’m working on my final assignment. And-” He pauses, unsure and a bit afraid of Seonghwa’s reaction.

“And?” The other prompts with a kind smile.

“And I was stuck for months. Nothing worked until I met you.” Hongjoong averts his gaze, watching a ship sail in the distance.

“What did I do?” Seonghwa asks, still sounding a bit confused.

“You smiled.” Hongjoong musters all his courage and meets Seonghwa’s eyes. He bites his lip and holds his breath. 

“Joong…” Seonghwa reaches out and brushes his fingers against the smaller’s hand. “I-” But he can’t finish his sentence due to Mangmang barreling into them. Hongjoong loses his balance and grabs Seonghwa’s arms to steady himself. Unfortunately Seonghwa slips on the wet sand so they both topple over and land in the water with a loud splash. 

Hongjoong yelps as the cold water drenches his clothes and makes him shiver violently. Seonghwa quickly stands up again and pulls Hongjoong up too. 

“I’m f-freezing.” The smaller stutters and trembles, his arms crossed in front of his chest, hands rubbing up and down.

“Let’s go to my home, okay? It’s nearer.” Seonghwa says and whistles so Mangmang knows it’s time to leave.

They hurry, afraid of catching a cold. When they reach the house after a few minutes, they leave their wet shoes outside. Seonghwa quickly explains that his parents are visiting friends in Munich so they’re alone and don’t have to worry about making a mess.

Hongjoong still feels bad when his clothes drip on the floor. Seonghwa lets Mangmang run free in the garden and ushers Hongjoong in the bathroom afterwards, placing two towels on the closed toilet lid. “You shower first. I’ll put fresh clothes in front of the door. Just leave yours in the sink.” 

The blonde gently closes the door behind himself. Hongjoong peels his wet clothes off with trembling hands and dumps them in the sink. He steps into the shower and turns the water on. Sighing Hongjoong quickly washes his hair and body with Seonghwa’s shampoo. He recognises the smell immediately. Not wasting any more time, he turns finishes his shower and towels himself off. He opens the door slightly and smiles in relief when he sees folded clothing laying on the ground. 

The hoodie and sweatpants are too big but they smell like Seonghwa so Hongjoong doesn’t complain. He pulls the collar up to his nose in inhales the sweet scent.

_Creep._

Oh shut up, he scolds the nagging voice and hangs the towels up to dry.

“I’m done, hyung!” He calls out when he leaves the bathroom.

Seonghwa appears around the corner and stops in his tracks as soon as he sees the other. His mouth is agape and he blinks a few times. 

“You can shower next.” Hongjoong mumbles and looks anywhere but the taller. 

Seonghwa clears his throat and hurries inside the bathroom. “I made tea. Feel free to drink some.” He says and closes the door afterwards.

Hongjoong walks in the kitchen and sits down at the table. The tea warms him up and eases his nervousness a bit. He wonders what Seonghwa wanted to say when Mangmang interrupted them. 

Lost in thoughts he doesn’t notice Seonghwa returning to the kitchen after a few moments.

“Can we talk about earlier?” Hongjoong startles at Seonghwa’s sudden question. The taller pours tea in another cup and sits down across from a fidgeting Hongjoong.

The blonde sighs. “I like your smile too. Please show it to me?” He reaches out and intertwines their fingers on the table.

Hongjoong glances up with a small smile tugging at his lips. His heart hammers in his chest like crazy, he fears Seonghwa will hear it. 

“Joongie~” The blonde pouts. Hongjoong can’t stop the smile overtaking his face.

~

Kissing Seonghwa feels like coming home. Hongjoong is addicted to the feeling after tasting the other’s mouth for the first time. He can stop pecking his lips, nipping at the bottom lip, licking into the other’s mouth.

Seonghwa hums contently, opening his mouth wider to let Hongjoong’s tongue roam inside. He strokes the smaller’s sides, earning a giggle. “Are you ticklish, baby?” Seonghwa asks with a low voice.

Hongjoong shivers and slings his arms around the others neck. “Shut up and kiss me again.” He demands and presses their lips back together. Seonghwa smiles into the kiss and lets his hands wander over Hongjoongs torso, pausing when he touches a nipple. 

“You’ve got a nipple piercing?” He asks with wide eyes and pulls the hoodie up to Hongjoong’s chin. “Fuck, that’s hot.” His tongue circles the nub with his lips closed around it. The sensation makes Hongjoong moan, grabbing strands of Seonghwa’s hair and gently pulls it. 

Seonghwa’s right hand grips Hongjoong’s hip tightly, his other hand busy stroking the second nipple. Moans spill from the youngers lips nonstop. “Hyung, please.” It’s not begging yet but he still sounds desperate. 

The blonde holds the other down with both hands, pressing him down on the soft blanket on the bed. Hongjoong mewls in protest and tries to buck up so his aching groin gets some friction. But Seonghwa is stronger and doesn’t release his grip. Instead his mouth wanders down on Hongjoong’s upper body, leaving a trail of wet kisses that make the other shiver again. 

When Seonghwa reaches the waistband of Hongjoong’s pants, he leans over the other again and kisses him deeply on the mouth. “Can I?” He ask, voice still oh so deep.

“Please.” Hongjoong whines but Seonghwa hushs him with another sweet kiss. “We’ve got all night, baby.” He reassures and gently bites at the smaller’s neck whose moan breaks. 

When Seonghwa finally tugs the sweatpants and underwear down, Hongjoong sobs in relief. The taller sits up again, taking in Hongjoong’s wrecked appearance. The sweater is still messily pulled up, everything else thrown aside. A few tears spill from the younger’s eyes and he tries to cover himself with his hands, insecure and embarrassed about his body. 

“You’re beautiful, baby boy.” Seonghwa takes Hongjoong’s left hand and kisses his knuckles. 

“Can you- Please?” He whines again and pulls Seonghwa down, kissing his lips and jaw. 

“I’m here.” Seonghwa mumbles and wipes the tears away. He slowly makes his way down again, not stopping this time until he reaches Hongjoong’s hard cock laying on his stomach. He doesn’t hesitate and takes the head in his mouth, sucking lightly. The response is immediate. Hongjoong writhes underneath him, arms trashing around. 

“Hyung… Hyung!” He repeats the word over and over again, clenching his hands in the bed sheets. Seonghwa takes as much as he can in his mouth, covering the rest with his large hand and starts stroking. 

Hongjoong feels like he’s going to burst. But it’s way too soon, he doesn’t want the moment to end yet. “Please, I don’t want-” His voice breaks. Seonghwa lets him go and presses a few kisses on his hip instead. “Hm? What is it?” He prods Hongjoong with his nose.

“Too soon…” The brown haired breathes out, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “Ah, don’t worry, baby. Like I said-” Seonghwa meets his eyes and winks. “We have all night.” He lowers himself again bobbing his head up and down as he pleases Hongjoong. It doesn’t take long and Hongjoong cums with a cry.

~

Needless to say, Hongjoong didn’t get much sleep that night. Fortunately Seonghwa remembered to text Hongjoong’s friends to let them know that he sleeps over. They didn’t wait for a response, taking off Seonghwa’s clothes next.

Yawning, Hongjoong stretches himself and turns on his side. Seonghwa is still asleep, his mouth slightly opened and breathing softly. Hongjoong smiles and cuddles closer, laying his head on the other’s chest. 

He’s happy. Truly happy. 

“Morning.” Seonghwa mumbles and threads his fingers in Hongjoong’s hair, massaging his scalp. 

“I didn’t want to wake you.” Hongjoong sighs, drawing random patterns with his fingers on the other’s bare stomach. 

“I don’t mind. Are you hungry?” The blonde asks, rubbing his eyes with his free hand.

“Hungry for kisses.” Hongjoong smiles and tilts his head up. Seonghwa chuckles and indulges him, meeting the smaller’s lips in a sweet kiss. 

“Ok, I could use some food though.” He admits. “But I don’t want to get up.” Hongjoong whines and hugs Seonghwa close. 

“You have to let me go if you want breakfast in bed.” Seonghwa chuckles again as he’s met with the younger’s pout. When Hongjoong still doesn’t let go, a tickling fight ensures.

~

After leaving Seonghwa’s house, Hongjoong is torn between happiness and sadness. He’s never expected to find the tingly feeling of love on a impromptu trip to Germany. But he also knows that whatever he and Seonghwa have has an expiration date.

Sighing he unlocks the frontdoor of the vacation house and slips inside. He hears Yeosang and Wooyoung talking in the living room, the radio playing softly in the background. Hongjoong decides to change his clothes first before facing his friends, so he hurries upstairs. Unfortunately Mingi awaits him in his room.

“Hey hyung.” The taller greets with a soft smile, patting the bed he’s sitting on in invitation. Hongjoong complies wordlessly, plops down beside his friend and leans his head on the other’s shoulder. 

They stay quiet for some minutes until Mingi speaks again. “Don’t worry about the others. I told them that you came back pretty late yesterday. They decided to let you sleep.” Mingi starts playing with Hongjoong’s long strands of hair. “Yunho put some breakfast aside for you.”

“Thank you.” Hongjoong hums and lets his eyes fall shut. 

“You might want to cover up the hickeys before you go downstairs though.” The younger snickers. Hongjoong is too tired to scold Mingi so he punches his thigh half-heartedly. 

“Come on, I’ll reheat your coffee.” Mingi nudges Hongjoong when he’s on the verge of dozing off. “Yunho has plans for our last day here.” He pulls Hongjoong up with him and pushes him to the direction of the small bath attached to the older’s room. 

Right, Hongjoong thinks, they fly back to Korea tomorrow. 

He shakes his head, doesn’t want the dark thoughts to enter his mind. He trots to the bathroom and inspects himself in the mirror. A gasp leaves his mouth when he sees the artwork Seonghwa left behind on the skin. There are several dark red blotches covering his throat, forming a path from the underside of his chin to the collar of his shirt. Curiously Hongjoong pulls the collar down a bit and gasps again. There’s no way he’s able to cover them all up with makeup. 

Eventually he joins Jongho at the kitchen table, fingers fumbling with his turtleneck, feet nervously tapping on the ground.

“You’re alright?” Jongho musters him, his gaze wandering up and down. “Isn’t it too warm to wear that?” He points at high collar of Hongjoong’s sweater. 

“Uhm.” Hongjoong hesitates. He feels Jongho’s eyes on him and begins to squirm. It’s not like he’s ashamed of what he’s done last night. He just… wants to keep it a secret for a little longer. The others wouldn’t judge him. Hell, he thinks San would even carry him all the way to Seonghwa’s house and lock them in. But he won’t tell them. Not yet. Not when he’s not sure what’ll happen next.

The fresh aroma of coffee snaps Hongjoong out of his thoughts again. Mingi places the cup down in front of him and reaches for a plate with chocolate filled buns. “Stop prying, Jonho.” He scolds the youngest. “Hyung just caught a small cold.” 

Hongjoong nods quickly, thankful for Mingi’s excuse, and downs half of his coffee in one go. He’s not hungry, Seonghwa made really good breakfast for him, but he can’t get enough coffee. 

“Well, you should take some medicine then. Yunho wants to go to the aquarium.” Jongho finishes his cornflakes and stands up. 

“I don't feel so good. Maybe it's best if I just…. stay here?” Hongjoong's voice is quiet, unsure. He really wants to spend time with his friends but this might be his last chance to spend time with Seonghwa. 

Mingi raises an eyebrow while Jongho looks sceptical. “Sure…” The youngest drawls. “I'll tell the others.” Thankfully Jongho doesn't ask further questions and searches for their friends. 

_Liar._

“Tell him I said hi, ok?” Mingi pats Hongjoong's shoulder and leaves as well to get ready. 

Soon enough Hongjoong hugs his friends goodbye and wishes them a happy trip. They were concerned at first, Yeosang insisting on staying back with Hongjoong. But he could convince them that all he needs is a bit sleep. 

He watches them drive off and grips his cellphone. Should he text Seonghwa? 

_You're so clingy._

He stares at his home screen until it locks itself again. 

_Pathetic._

Hongjoong groans and flops down on the couch. He doesn't know how long he lays there but the shrill ringing of the doorbell causes him to bolt up. 

Seems like he didn't have to worry. Seonghwa gives him a blinding smile and a peck on the cheek in greeting as Hongjoong opens the door. “Your friend told me that you're here all by yourself. That's unacceptable.” 

Seonghwa steps in and closes the door behind himself. He proceeds to take his shoes and jacket off while Hongjoong is rendered speechless. He'll treat Mingi for dinner when they'll get back to Korea. Bless his best friend. 

“I brought some snacks and movies.” Seonghwa raises the bag in his hand. “I hope you like jalapeno chips.” 

“Thank you, hyung.” Hongjoong finally snaps out of it and offers Seonghwa a shy smile. 

They make themselves comfortable on the couch in the living room after Hongjoong starts the DVD, throwing a fluffy blanket over them. The younger wastes no time and sits down in Seonghwa's lap, pressing his back to the blonde’s chest who slings his arms around Hongjoong's waist immediately. 

“This is nice.” Seonghwa says and watches Hongjoong play with his fingers. The other hums in agreement and slots their hands together. 

In the movie Thor is slaying some blue giants but the both of them don't really pay attention, too immersed in each other. It's no surprise when Seonghwa slides his hands under Hongjoong's sweater, caressing his tummy with soft strokes. The smaller sighs and leans back a bit more. 

“Can I take it off?” Seonghwa asks quietly and tucks at the hem of Hongjoong's sweater. He gently removes it after the other nods, throwing it to the floor. With his chest exposed Hongjoong begins to shiver, his nipples hardening. Seonghwa quickly pulls the blanket up and tugs it around them. “Cold?” He asks with a voice that’s deeper than usual.

“A bit.” Hongjoong shivers as Seonghwa’s finger skip over his waist. 

“Don’t worry, that’ll not last for long.” Seonghwa chuckles in his ear, sending goosebumps over Hongjoong’s skin. The younger soon starts to squirm when Seonghwa’s fingers get bored of exploring his torso and make their way down instead. 

“Hyung~” Hongjoong begins to whine, buckling his hips up in hope of meeting Seonghwa’s teasing fingers.

“Hm?” Seonghwa hums in question. He obviously avoids the part where Hongjoong’s wants to be touched most. “What is it?”

“Please~” The pout on Hongjoong’s lips is fully unintended. He just can’t help it.

“Please what? Use your words, baby.” Seonghwa whispers and lays his hands flat on the other’s thighs.

“Touch me, please.” Hongjoong grumbles, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. 

“But I’m touching you already?” Seonghwa pretends to be confused and cocks his head to the side.

That’s it. Hongjoong has enough and turns around in Seonghwa’s lap, the blanket falling to the ground in the process. “You’re so mean, Seonghwa!” He sulks as he fumbles with the buttons on the other’s pants. 

“Oh? Now I’m not hyung anymore?” The taller wonders aloud with a laugh that’s cut short when Hongjoong pulls at his now opened pants with a hard tug and kisses him. Hongjoong frees himself from his pants and underwear while Seonghwa takes his own off, mouths only seperating for seconds.

After a bit readjusting they both settle back on the couch in their previous position, Hongjoong’s back against Seonghwa’s chest. Thankfully Seonghwa is done teasing and quickly wraps one hand around Hongjoong’s cock and strokes him in long, languid moves. 

Hongjoong slacks against the taller, his finger searching for anything to grab on. Eventually they settle in Seonghwa’s hair and grip hard as the other’s strokes increase in speed. Before Hongjoong is able to pull too harshly though, Seonghwa takes one of his hands in his own, not ceasing his stroking. Hongjoong clutches his hand so hard that his knuckles turn white and bites his bottom lip to suppress his moans.

He’s there, he’s _right there_ and- 

Seonghwa pulls his fingers off. 

Hongjoong whines incoherently and presses his face in the juncture of Seonghwa’s neck. 

“Turn around, baby.” Seonghwa nudges the smaller whose whining only increases so he grabs his hips with both hands and turns him himself. As soon as Hongjoong faces Seonghwa, he slings his arms around the older’s neck and leans his forehead on the other’s shoulder. 

Seonghwa wastes no time and wraps his hand around their members, pressing them together as he picks up his fast strokes again, and caresses the back of Hongjoong’s neck. 

It doesn’t take long for the younger to cum, spilling his release all over Seonghwa’s hand and cock. Hongjoong slumps completely against the blonde, all of his energy spent. Seonghwa makes sure to loosen his grip on Hongjoong’s member before oversensitivity hits and finishes himself off quickly. 

They lay like that for a few minutes, catching their breath, until Hongjoong starts to shiver again. “I’m gross and cold.” He groans and snuggles even closer to Seonghwa who just laughs, throwing his head back. “Now we’re both gross. Come on, let’s shower.” The older suggests.

However Hongjoong ignores him and presses small kisses on the other’s shoulder. Seonghwa sighs and maneuvers them around so he can pick Hongjoong up. Fortunately there’s a bathroom on this floor, because albeit Hongjoong’s small stature he’s pretty heavy when he hangs off on Seonghwa’s shoulders like dead weight. 

After coaxing Hongjoong to stand on his own legs while showering, Seonghwa quickly cleans them up and towels Hongjoong dry first. When they’re dressed again and back on the couch they finally realize that the movie’s still running and neither paid any attention.

Hongjoong insists that he’s not tired so Seonghwa switches DVDs and sits back down on the couch, pulling the other against himself. He picks the forgotten blanket finally up again and tugs it around them. The intro music starts and Hongjoong’s eyes light up instantly. 

“Hyung! You brought the Minions movie!” The younger exclaims and bounces in excitement in Seonghwa’s arms. “It’s my favorite.” Hongjoong’s eyes are focussed on the screen from the first second on and he chews on his bottom lip. Seonghwa on the other hand watches the smaller with a fond expression the whole time.

~

“You wake them up.”

“No, you should do it!”

“I think Jongho should wake them up.”

“And I think you should shut up, hyung.”

“There’s only one way to decide…”

… “Rock, Paper, Scissors!”

…

…

Hongjoong feels something poke into his shoulder, cautious at first, then more and more forceful. “Hyung, wake up.” A voice whispers somewhere above him but Hongjoong only groans and hides his face in Seonghwa’s neck. It’s so warm and comfortable, he doesn’t want to wake up yet.

“Hyung.” The voice grows louder while the poking becomes kinda hurtful. 

“It’s okay, I wake him up.” Seonghwa mumbles with a voice that’s still scratchy from sleep. 

“Uhm, cool. Do that.” 

There’s rustling and some hurried footsteps and then it’s finally quiet again. Hongjoong sighs and hugs Seonghwa closer.

“Baby, we should head to bed. Your friends are back.” Seonghwa carefully pushes Hongjoong away so he can look into his eyes. The younger slowly blinks and mumbles. “Friends?”

“Yeah, you know… The people who love you? The ones that are on the same trip as you?” Seonghwa prompts with an amused voice.

Hongjoong hums, his eyelids still heavy. “Those guys…”

Somehow Seonghwa succeeds in coaxing Hongjoong on his feet and upstairs to his room. They fall into bed immediately, the younger is asleep before his head hits the pillow.

~

“So.” Yunho claps his hands causing him to earn everyone’s attention at the breakfast table. “It’s nice to meet you, Seonghwa hyung.”

“Yunho, stop it.” Hongjoong groans. The other looks offended and opens his mouth to retort something but San is faster.

“So you’re the reason why Hongjoong’s been smiling like an idiot when he thought no one’s looking.” He says with a smug grin. Wooyoung next to him pinches his sides, making San shriek. “What he wanted to say is that we’re happy for you.” 

“That’s what I said.” San grumbles. 

Hongjoong would love for the ground to open up and swallow him whole. This is so embarrassing. At least Yeosang, Mingi and Jongho don’t stare at Seonghwa unlike the others. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you as well. Joong-ah told me a lot about you.” Seonghwa, the traitor, answers with a smile. 

His friends seem to take this as an invitation to ask as many questions as they want. Luckily most of them are G-rated. Seonghwa answers them all between taking bites of his breakfast and stroking Hongjoong’s thigh under the table. And yeah, okay, Hongjoong could totally get used to this. 

However all good things has to come to an end, right?

The time with Seonghwa made Hongjoong forget that it’s their last day on vacation. He becomes aware of the fact that he has to pack when breakfast is over and everyone cleans up.

“We have to leave in about 2 hours.” Yunho reminds them with a sad smile. “Should we help you pack, hyung?”

“No, it’s okay.” Hongjoong forces a smile himself. “I don’t have much stuff anyway.” 

Mingi squeezes his shoulder on his way upstairs, he’s the last one to go.

Seonghwa and Hongjoong stand in silence in the middle of the kitchen, neither know what to say. After a few minutes Seonghwa lets out a long sigh. “I have to leave soon or I’ll be late for work.” He sounds as sad as Hongjoong feels. The younger nods, he doesn’t trust his voice at the moment. 

More minutes pass. Hongjoong hears whisper shouting upstairs and rustling in the direction of his room. 

“Hongjoong, I -” Seonghwa gets interrupted by the loud ringing of his cellphone. He pulls it out of his pocket and groans when he sees who’s calling. He answers his phone and speaks in fast German. Hongjoong doesn’t understand what he says but the pained expression on the taller’s face is enough to get the gist of it. 

Seonghwa hangs up and stores the phone in his pocket again. “My boss called. One of my colleagues is sick so I have to go… Now.” He grimaces, taking Hongjoong’s hands in his own.

Hongjoong can’t look up, eyes focused on their joined hands. “Okay…” 

“Text me when you arrive at home? So I know everything went well.” 

Hongjoong nods, eyes burning. But he pulls himself together. “Will do.”

They go to the frontdoor, Seonghwa shouting a quick goodbye upstairs, the others shouting back. Hongjoong is grateful that nobody comes downstairs to see Seonghwa off. This moment is theirs alone.

“Pat Mangmang for me. And give him treats, okay?” Hongjoong asks with a wobbly smile.

“I’ll send a video proof.” Seonghwa winks. Suddenly he pulls Hongjoong in a tight embrace and buries his face in the shorter’s hair. Hongjoong clenches his hands in the front of the other’s shirt.

Seonghwa pulls away after a moment and presses a lingering kiss to Hongjoong’s lips. “See you.” 

Hongjoong doesn’t cry as he watches Seonghwa’s retreating back. 

He doesn’t cry when Mingi hands him his packed luggage.

He doesn’t even cry when their plane takes off and the distance between himself and Seonghwa grows impossible larger with every passing second.

However the moment he’s back in his bed, staring at the ceiling above him, he breaks down. 

Mingi crawls into his bed and holds Hongjoong close.


	2. Epilogue

“Don’t forget to text me when the plane lands. And drink lots of water. And take your vitamins. You now what? I’ll just remind you everyday. Better safe than sorry.” 

“Are you done, Mingi?” Hongjoong rolls his eyes.

“I’m just fulfilling my duties as your best friend.” Mingi pouts but stops fussing over Hongjoong. 

“I’ll call you.” Hongjoong promises and looks at the display hanging a few meters away. “Better hurry. I don’t want to miss the flight.” He smiles at Mingi and hugs him goodbye. 

Mingi waves him off until the other gets lost in the busy crowd. 

Some time later Hongjoong takes his seat next to one of the small windows and closes his eyes. He’s still so tired. His friends surprised him with a party last night and they all drank way too much. It was nice to spend time together before Hongjoong moves. Who knows when they’ll see each other again? But he’s not sad. They’ll visit. And it’s not like Hongjoong will never come back to Korea ever again. He still has family there. 

Too excited to sleep, Hongjoong wiggles his legs impatiently. He hopes everything will work out.

Navigating in a foreign country is always difficult. Even more so when you’re alone with a huge backpack and a trolly case that’s nearly as big as yourself. Hongjoong walks in circles several times even though the app on his cellphone tells him where to go. He’s just too nervous. 

Eventually he arrives in front of a building with five floors and a giant mailbox with at least 50 slots. His eyes scan the nameplates on the doorbells until they stop at a familiar name. He presses the bell and waits a few seconds until a voice greets him through the speaker right next to the door. 

“Hyung, I’m hungry~” Hongjoong whines, trying his best not to laugh in the process. 

Silence.

Nothing happens.

Hongjoong grows more and more nervous. 

Suddenly the frontdoor swings open and Seonghwa rushes out, his hair tousled and eyes wide. “Joong?”

The younger bounces on his heels and smiles shyly at his boyfriend. “Told you I have a special surprise for your birthday.”

The confused look on Seonghwa’s face quickly morphes into a huge grin as he pulls the smaller in his arms and kisses him. They rush upstairs, Seonghwa opening his door with shaking hands, and kiss again as soon as the door falls shut. Mangmang whines and tries to get their attention, excessively wagging his tail. Seonghwa quickly pushes Hongjoong inside his bedroom though and shuts the door before the dog is able to sneak in as well.

Needless to say it takes a few hours until they finally talk, too preoccupied with more physical activities.

“Your boss gave you vacation? I thought things were hectic at the company?” Seonghwa asks as he draw random patterns on Hongjoong stomach while they lay in bed.

“I’m not on vacation.” Hongjoong answers with a frown.

“Don’t tell me they fired you?” Seonghwa sits up abruptly. “You’re one of the best new coming producers in the industry!”

“No, silly.” Hongjoong finally drops the act and grins. “I was basically begging my boss from day one to let me work from home. He always laughed, thought I was joking. But I proved myself in these last years and he allowed it. So I’m here now. At home.” 

“Kim Hongjoong, I can’t believe you kept this a secret! And I also can’t believe Yeosang didn’t told me! He tells me everything!” Seonghwa exclaims with fake pout and falls back into bed. “So you’re staying? You won’t have to pack your bags in a few days? And I won’t have to drive you to the airport again?”

“No, I’m staying. If you’ll have me, that is.” 

Hongjoong guesses the kiss he receives is answer enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you have any requests for new fanfics or pairings? 
> 
> hmu on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/neomuyoo) or comment below!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks a lot for reading! ♡
> 
> Comments and/ or kudos are always appreciated (・ω<)
> 
> The epilogue will be up in a few days!


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